Digital Commons Network^™

Clinical And Biomarker Changes In Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Disease, R J Bateman, C Xiong, T L Benzinger, A M Fagan, A Goate, N C Fox, D S Marcus, N J Cairns, X Xie, T M Blazey, D M Holtzman, A Santacruz, V Buckles, A Oliver, K Moulder, P M Aisen, B Ghetti, W M Klunk, E Mcdade, Ralph Martins, C M Masters, R Mayeux, J M Ringman, M M Rossor, P M Schofield, R M Sperling, S Salloway, J M Morris

Research outputs 2012

Background: The order and magnitude of pathologic processes in Alzheimer's disease are not well understood, partly because the disease develops over many years. Autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease has a predictable age at onset and provides an opportunity to determine the sequence and magnitude of pathologic changes that culminate in symptomatic disease.

Methods: In this prospective, longitudinal study, we analyzed data from 128 participants who underwent baseline clinical and cognitive assessments, brain imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood tests. We used the participant's age at baseline assessment and the parent's age at the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to …

Two Maximal Isometric Contractions Attenuate The Magnitude Of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Hsin-Lian Chen, Kazunori Nosaka, Alan Pearce, Trevor C Chen

Research outputs 2012

This study investigated whether maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC-ISO) would attenuate the magnitude of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Young untrained men were placed into one of the two experimental groups or one control group (n = 13 per group). Subjects in the experimental groups performed either two or 10 MVC-ISO of the elbow flexors at a long muscle length (20° flexion) 2 days prior to 30 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors. Subjects in the control group performed the eccentric contractions without MVC-ISO. No significant changes in maximal voluntary concentric contraction peak torque, peak torque angle, range of …

A Randomised Trial Of Robotic And Open Prostatectomy In Men With Localised Prostate Cancer, Robert Gardiner, J Yaxley, G Coughlin, N Dunglison, S Occhipinti, S Younie, R Carter, S Williams, R J Medcraft, Bennett Nigel, M F Lavin, Suzanne Chambers

Research outputs 2012

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the Western world however there is ongoing debate about the optimal treatment strategy for localised disease. While surgery remains the most commonly received treatment for localised disease in Australia more recently a robotic approach has emerged as an alternative to open and laparoscopic surgery. However, high level data is not yet available to support this as a superior approach or to guide treatment decision making between the alternatives. This paper presents the design of a randomised trial of Robotic and Open Prostatectomy for men newly diagnosed with localised prostate cancer …

Multigene Interactions And The Prediction Of Depression In The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, N S Roetker, J A Yonker, C. Lee, V Chang, J J Basson, C L Roan, T S Hauser, R M Hauser, Craig Atwood

Research outputs 2012

Objectives: Single genetic loci offer little predictive power for the identification of depression. This study examined whether an analysis of gene-gene (G x G) interactions of 78 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes associated with depression and agerelated diseases would identify significant interactions with increased predictive power for depression. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A survey of participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Participants: A total of 4811 persons (2464 women and 2347 men) who provided saliva for genotyping; the group comes from a randomly selected sample of Wisconsin high school graduates from the class of 1957 as well …

Chronic Low Back Pain Is Associated With Reduced Vertebral Bone Mineral Measures In Community-Dwelling Adults, Andrew Briggs, Leon Straker, Angus Burnett, John Wark

Research outputs 2012

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) experienced in middle-age may have important implications for vertebral bone health, although this issue has not been investigated as a primary aim previously. This study investigated the associations between CLBP and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived vertebral bone mineral measures acquired from postero-anterior and lateral-projections, among community-dwelling, middle-aged adults. Methods. Twenty-nine adults with CLBP (11 male, 18 female) and 42 adults with no history of LBP in the preceding year (17 male, 25 female) were evaluated. Self-reported demographic and clinical data were collected via questionnaires. Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) was measured in the …

Intense Physical Activity Is Associated With Cognitive Performance In The Elderly, Belinda Brown, Jeremiah Peiffer, Hamid Sohrabi, Alinda Mondal, Veer Bala Gupta, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Kevin Taddei, S Burnham, K Ellis, C Szoeke, C L Masters, D Ames, C Rowe, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2012

Numerous studies have reported positive impacts of physical activity on cognitive function. However, the majority of these studies have utilised physical activity questionnaires or surveys, thus results may have been influenced by reporting biases. Through the objective measurement of routine levels of physical activity via actigraphy, we report a significant association between intensity, but not volume, of physical activity and cognitive functioning. A cohort of 217 participants (aged 60-89 years) wore an actigraphy unit for 7 consecutive days and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The cohort was stratified into tertiles based on physical activity intensity. Compared with individuals in the lowest …

The Female And Male Adolescent Breast, Donald E. Greydanus, Stephanie Stockburger, Hatim A. Omar, Colleen B. Dodich

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The breast is an important organ system for the adolescent female and occasionally for the adolescent male as well. This chapter reviews basic principles of breast concerns and disorders including congenital anomalies, asymmetric breast development, underdeveloped breasts, virginal hypertrophy, breast masses, mastaglia, galactorrhea, gynecomastia in males, and others. Clinicians should be attuned to issues and concerns for this important structure in adolescents.

Depression, Anxiety, And Symptom Profiles Among Female And Male Victims Of Sexual Violence, Ekta Choudhary, Merideth Smith, Robert M. Bossarte

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Accuracy Of Automated Attenuation-Based 3-Dimensional Segmentation: In The Analysis Of Left Ventricular Function Compared With Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Harald Brodoefel, Ilias Tsiflikas, Ulrich Kramer, Nina Lang, Anja Reimann, Christoph Burgstahler, Claus D Claussen, Martin Heuschmid

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We evaluated attenuation-based 3-dimensional segmentation for the analysis of left ventricular function, using as our standard of reference magnetic resonance imaging and dual-source computed tomography with traditional short-axis planimetry.

Twenty patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease were examined prospectively. In all magnetic resonance and computed tomographic datasets, global functional values were determined by 2-dimensional planimetry. Computed tomographic scans were further evaluated by automated 3-dimensional segmentation, and the results were compared by Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis.

Agreement between magnetic resonance imaging and dual-source computed tomographic 2-dimensional planimetry was good for all values (end-diastolic volume, bias= −4.2, r=0.99; end-systolic …

Potential Role Of Plasma Myeloperoxidase Level In Predicting Long-Term Outcome Of Acute Myocardial Infarction, Mehmet Gungor Kaya, Ridvan Yalcin, Kaan Okyay, Fatih Poyraz, Nilufer Bayraktar, Hatice Pasaoglu, Bulent Boyaci, Atiye Cengel

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We investigated the prognostic importance of plasma myeloperoxidase levels in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at long-term follow-up, and we analyzed the correlations between plasma myeloperoxidase levels and other biochemical values.

We evaluated 73 consecutive patients (56 men; mean age, 56 ±11 yr) diagnosed with acute STEMI and 46 age- and sex-matched healthy control participants. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the median myeloperoxidase level (Group 1: plasma myeloperoxidase ≤68 ng/mL; and Group 2: plasma myeloperoxidase >68 ng/mL). Patients were monitored for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which were defined as cardiac death; reinfarction; …

Cellular Retrograde Cardiomyoplasty And Relaxin Therapy For Postischemic Myocardial Repair In A Rat Model, Gabriella Di Lascio, Guy Harmelin, Mattia Targetti, Cristina Nanni, Giacomo Bianchi, Tommaso Gasbarri, Sandro Gelsomino, Daniele Bani, Sandra Zecchi Orlandini, Massimo Bonacchi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to determine whether skeletal myoblasts, wild-type or engineered to express relaxin, might improve myocardial viability and performance in a rat model of chronic myocardial infarction. Our purpose was to investigate a potential new therapy for heart failure.

From October 2005 through September 2009, we surgically induced acute myocardial infarction in 80 male Wistar rats. Thirty days after surgery, the rats underwent reoperation for the retrograde coronary venous infusion of skeletal myoblasts, relaxin, or both. The animals were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups: R1 (the control group, which underwent saline-solution infusion), R2 (systemic relaxin therapy), R3 (myoblast infusion), …

Management Of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Entrapment: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Gerard J Fitzmaurice, Anton Collins, Haralambos Parissis

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

An intra-aortic balloon pump is one of the most valuable tools in the cardiac surgeon's armament to assist in the management of the failing heart. Despite its widespread use, there are associated risks and complications, one of which is balloon rupture with associated entrapment. Numerous approaches for dealing with this complication have been described; here we review the previous experience with intra-aortic balloon pump entrapment and discuss potential management, with particular reference to a recent case of our own.

Intramyocardial Hematoma From Blunt Trauma Mimicking Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Meta Linda Mobula, Sammy Zakaria, Glenn A Hirsch

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Eptifibatide-Induced Thrombocytopenia: With Thrombosis And Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Immediately After Left Main Coronary Artery Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty, Michael W Tempelhof, Keith H Benzuly, Dan Fintel, Marc Z Krichavsky

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Early clinical trials of eptifibatide did not show a significant association between eptifibatide and the development of thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, or disseminated intravascular coagulation. However, more recent literature has suggested a significant association between eptifibatide and the development of thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. Although the true incidence and the pathophysiology of these associations are unknown, the development of these events can be life-threatening. Herein, we describe the case of a patient who experienced acute onset of profound thrombocytopenia, developing thrombosis, pulmonary emboli, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. This paper adds to the few previous reports of cases that suggested an association between thrombocytopenia, …

Pegylated Arginine Deiminase Downregulates Colitis In Murine Models, Helieh S. Oz, Jian Zhong, Willem J. S. De Villiers

Physiology Faculty Publications

Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine-metabolizing enzyme involved in cell signaling, is dysregulated in multiple inflammatory diseases and cancers. We hypothesized that pegylated ADI (ADI-PEG) provide protection against colitis.

METHODS: Dextran sodium sulfate colitis was induced in IL-10-deficient and BALB/c (WT) mice. ADI-PEG was administered i.p., and inflammatory mediators and pathology were evaluated.

RESULTS: Acute colitis in mice was manifested by increases in inflammatory biomarkers, such as serum amyloid A (SAA, P < 0.001), IL-12 p40, and disease index (3-Fold). In contrast, ADI-PEG significantly decreased clinical disease index, SAA levels, and inflammatory cytokines in blood as well as in colonic explants. Animals developed moderate (2.2 ± 0.3 WT) to severe (3.6 ± 0.5 IL-10 deficient) colonic pathology; and ADI-PEG treatment significantly improved the severity of colitis (P < 0.05). Marked infiltration of CD68+ macrophages and iNOS expression were detected in colonic submucosa in colitic animals but not detected in ADI-PEG-treated animals.

CONCLUSION: ADI-PEG attenuated inflammatory responses by suppression of macrophage infiltration and iNOS expression in colitic animals. ADI-PEG can serve as a potential therapeutic value in IBD.

The Potential Of The Angle Of The First Rib, Head To Tubercle, In Sexing Adult Individuals In Forensic Contexts, Paige Whitney Elrod

LSU Master's Theses

Accurately assessing the sex of an adult human skeleton is fundamental in forming the biological profile used in forensic anthropology (Patil and Mody, 2005). The first rib was chosen due to its distinct shape, compact size and increased sustainability to the taphonomic processes encountered in forensic and bioarchaeological situations. The first rib has been examined in previous studies; however, these studies have focused mainly on the sternal end of the rib. This study looks at the angle created between the tubercle and head and its potential use as an indication of the sex of an individual. This angle, created by …

Gene Expression Profiling In The Thiamethoxam Resistant And Susceptible B-Biotype Sweetpotato Whitefly, Bemisia Tabaci, Wen Xie, Xin Yang, Shao-Ii Wang, Qing-Jun Wu, Ni-Na Yang, Ru-Mei Li, Xiao-Guo Jiao, Hui-Peng Pan, Bai-Ming Liu, Yun-Tao Feng, Bao-Yun Xu, Xuguo Zhou, You-Jun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Thiamethoxam has been used as a major insecticide to control the B-biotype sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Due to its excessive use, a high level of resistance to thiamethoxam has developed worldwide over the past several years. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance in B. tabaci, gene profiles between the thiamethoxam-resistant and thiamethoxam-susceptible strains were investigated using the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library approach. A total of 72 and 52 upand down-regulated genes were obtained from the forward and reverse SSH libraries, respectively. These expressed sequence tags (ESTs) belong to several functional categories based …

The Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitor Rolipram Reverses Aβ-Induced Cognitive Impairment And Neuroinflammatory And Apoptotic Responses In Rats, Chuang Wang, Xue-Mei Yang, Ye-Ye Zhuo, Heng Zhou, Huan-Bing Lin, Yu-Fang Cheng, Jiang-Ping Xu, Han-Ting Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Forty Years Of Increasing Suicide Mortality In Poland: Undercounting Amidst A Hanging Epidemic?, Peter Höfer, Ian R H Rockett, Peeter Värnik, Elmar Etzersdorfer, Nestor D Kapusta

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Pilot Online Survey Assessing Risk Factors For Hiv Acquisition In The Navy And Marine Corps, 2005-2010, Shilpa Hakre, Adam W. Armstrong, Robert J. O'Connell, Nelson L. Michael, Paul T. Scott, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The Department of Defense policy Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) ended in September, 2011. The Navy Bloodborne Infection Management Center conducted a post-DADT pilot survey of HIV seroconverters identified when the DADT policy was in effect. Sailors and Marines newly diagnosed as HIV positive from 2005 to 2010 were invited to participate in an online survey. A structured questionnaire elicited risk information about the 3-year period before HIV diagnosis. Respondents reported engaging commonly in same sex sexual activity, having concurrent partners, and poor condom use for anal sex. In this first post-DADT repeal report of self-reported behaviors, male-to-male sexual contact …

Methamphetamine Administration Targets Multiple Immune Subsets And Induces Phenotypic Alterations Suggestive Of Immunosuppression., Robert Z. Harms, Brenda M. Morsey, Craig W. Boyer, Howard S. Fox, Nora E. Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a widely abused stimulant and its users are at increased risk for multiple infectious diseases. To determine the impact of meth on the immune system, we utilized a murine model that simulates the process of meth consumption in a typical addict. Our phenotypic analysis of leukocytes from this dose escalation model revealed that meth affected key immune subsets. Meth administration led to a decrease in abundance of natural killer (NK) cells and the remaining NK cells possessed a phenotype suggesting reduced responsiveness. Dendritic cells (DCs) and Gr-1(high) monocytes/macrophages were also decreased in abundance while Gr-1(low) monocytes/macrophages appear …

Lymph Node Ratio Is An Important And Independent Prognostic Factor For Patients With Stage Iii Melanoma, Adam C. Berger, Michael Fierro, John C. Kairys, David Berd, Takami Sato, Jocelyn Andrel, Terry Hyslop, Michael J. Mastrangelo

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION:

The incidence of melanoma is dramatically increasing worldwide. We hypothesized that the ratio of metastatic to examined lymph node ratio (LNR) would be the most important prognostic factor for stage III patients.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database of melanoma patients and identified 168 patients who underwent lymph node dissection (LND) for stage III disease between 1993 and 2007. Patients were divided into three groups based on LNR (≤10%, n = 93; 10-≤25%, n = 45; and >25%, n = 30). Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS:

The median survival time of …

Unaltered Myocilin Expression In The Blood Of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients., Khaled K Abu-Amero, Taif Anwar Azad, George L Spaeth, Jonathan Myers, L Jay Katz, Marlene Moster, Thomas M Bosley

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the expression of the myocilin gene (MYOC) in the blood of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients to determine if altered systemic expression is playing a role.

METHODS: Patients (n=47) were eligible for inclusion if they met standard clinical criteria for POAG. Control subjects (n=27) were recruited who were free from glaucoma by examination. RNA was extracted from leukocytes of patients and controls and converted to cDNA by reverse transcriptase enzyme, and quantitative PCR was used to assess expression levels of MYOC and the house keeping gene β-globulin (HBB). The ratio of MYOC expression to HBB expression …

Temporal Changes In Innate Immune Signals In A Rat Model Of Alcohol Withdrawal In Emotional And Cardiorespiratory Homeostatic Nuclei., Kate Freeman, Anthony Brureau, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Mary M Staehle, Melanie M Brureau, Gregory E Gonye, Jan B Hoek, D Craig Hooper, James S Schwaber

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcohol use changes the brain's inflammatory state. However, there is little work examining the progression of the cytokine response during alcohol withdrawal, a period of profound autonomic and emotional upset. This study examines the inflammatory response in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and dorsal vagal complex (DVC), brain regions neuroanatomically associated with affective and cardiorespiratory regulation in an in vivo rat model of withdrawal following a single chronic exposure.

METHODS: For qRT-PCR studies, we measured the expression of TNF-α, NOS-2, Ccl2 (MCP-1), MHC II invariant chain CD74, and the TNF receptor Tnfrsf1a in CeA and DVC …

Use Of A Clay Modeling Task To Reduce Chocolate Craving., Jackie Andrade, Sally Pears, Jon May, David J. Kavanagh

School of Psychology

Elaborated Intrusion theory (EI theory; Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) posits two main cognitive components in craving: associative processes that lead to intrusive thoughts about the craved substance or activity, and elaborative processes supporting mental imagery of the substance or activity. We used a novel visuospatial task to test the hypothesis that visual imagery plays a key role in craving. Experiment 1 showed that spending 10 min constructing shapes from modeling clay (plasticine) reduced participants' craving for chocolate compared with spending 10 min 'letting your mind wander'. Increasing the load on verbal working memory using a mental arithmetic task (counting …

Spina Bifida Subtypes And Sub-Phenotypes By Maternal Race/Ethnicity In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, Tunu Ramadhani, Cynthia A Moore

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spina bifida refers to a collection of neural tube defects, including myelomeningocele, meningocele, and myelocele (SB(M) ), as well as lipomyelomeningocele and lipomeningocele (SB(L) ). Maternal race/ethnicity has been associated with an increased risk for spina bifida among offspring. to better understand this relationship, we evaluated different spina bifida subtypes (SB(M) vs. SB(L) ) and sub-phenotypes (anatomic level or presence of additional malformations) by maternal race/ethnicity using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. This study is a large, multisite, population-based study of nonsyndromic birth defects. Prevalence estimates were obtained using data from spina bifida cases (live births, fetal …

Full-Forward And, Macho Homos : Toward A Masculist Reframing Of Male Homosexuality, Kristian Guagliardo

Theses : Honours

The following work explores the nexus of male homosexuality and traditional masculinity.

The creative work examines the ways in which both patriarchal and popular, purportedly feminist or queer theorist cultures arbitrarily assign allegedly immanent feminine qualities to homosexual males even when these characteristics are not congruent with the male subject. This facet of western, and specifically Australian, culture is explored through the prism of a hegemonically masculine ‘country boy’ who finds that despite his own comportment and identity, he becomes culturally and socially feminised by virtue of his homosexuality alone. He experiences isolation, angst, anger and cognitive dissonance as he …

Use Of Robotics In Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report., Lori Siedziewski, Roseann C. Schaaf, Julie Mount

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: We examined the use of robotics to treat upper-extremity (UE) dysfunction in tetraplegic patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHOD: a 51-yr-old man with incomplete SCI participated in an occupational therapy program that combined traditional occupational therapy with Reo Go®, a comprehensive therapy platform that includes a robotic guide featuring a telescopic arm to enable high repetitions of functionally relevant UE exercises.

RESULTS: The participant demonstrated measurable improvements in active range of motion, muscle strength as measured through manual muscle testing, perceived right UE function, and self-care performance as measured by the FIM™.

CONCLUSION: The findings from this case …

Culprit-Vessel Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Followed By Contralateral Angiography Versus Complete Angiography In Patients With St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Chadi Dib, Elias B Hanna, Muhammad A Chaudhry, Thomas A Hennebry, Stavros Stavrakis, Mazen S Abu-Fadel

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, delay in door-to-balloon time strongly increases mortality rates. To our knowledge, no randomized studies to date have focused on reducing delays within the catheterization laboratory.

We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction at our institution from July 2006 through June 2010, looking primarily at time differences between percutaneous coronary intervention in the culprit vessel on the basis of ECG criteria, followed by contralateral angiography (Group 1), versus complete coronary angiography followed by culprit-vessel percutaneous intervention (Group 2).

There were 49 patients in Group 1 and 57 patients …

Extreme Thrombocytosis And Cardiovascular Surgery: Risks And Management, Ethan A Natelson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Extreme thrombocytosis is a major risk factor for excessive bleeding and for thrombosis, either of which can complicate cardiovascular surgical and interventional procedures. Extreme thrombocytosis can also cause an unusual syndrome, erythromelalgia, that results in a type of chronic microvascular occlusive arterial disease. We present the differential diagnosis of conditions that may lead to extreme thrombocytosis, 3 cases (each of which illustrates a different potential complication), and a review of the pertinent medical literature. Correcting excessive thrombocytosis is typically not difficult, whether electively or acutely, and effective therapy usually controls thrombosis and excessive hemorrhage post-procedurally.